Shielded arc welding



Feb. 14, 1950 P. J. RIEPPEL SHIELDED ARC WELDING Filed Dec. l0, 1948 Flai INVENTOR PERRY J. RIEPPEL ,ffy

m- Mw..

ATTORN EYS Patented Feb. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIELDED ARC WELDING of New York Application December 10, 1948, Serial No. .64,496

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to electric arc welding and particularly to improvements in the method of welding whereby advantageous results are secured in an economical manner.

Electric arc welding is conducted by maintaining an arc between a suitable electrode and the workpiece. In its simplest form, the arc is maintained in the normal atmosphere and the presence of oxygen and nitrogen of the atmosphere produces undesirable results in the weld. Improvements have been eiected heretofore by shielding the arc with inert gases and by socalled submerged arc welding in which the end of the electrode is disposed within a molten ux. These procedures have certain disadvantages and are relatively expensive.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of electric welding wherein the arc is shielded effectively and economies in the procedure are accomplished without deterioration of the weld produced.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following specication and accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically an apparatus suitable for the practice of the invention and the nature of the procedure; and

Fig. 2 illustrates a simplified form of the apparatus.

I have discovered that electric arc welding may be conducted advantageously under protection of a layer of foam which surrounds the arc and excludes atmospheric gases therefrom. The foam used is of the type heretofore widely employed as a re extinguishing agent, particularly in connection with oil lires, as described, for example, in the patent to Walter Palmer, No. 1,591,401 issued July 6, 1926. Such foam is produced by the addition to water of a pulverized mixture of sodium bicarbonate and aluminum sulphate containing a stabilizer such as extract of soap bark, extract of licorice root, extract of oak bark, or secondary extract of logwood. These and similar materials included in the composition ensure the production of a tough foam which does not break easily and remains stable for a considerable time. The gaseous content of the foam as described is carbon dioxide produced by reaction of the chemical ingredients. This is suitable in many cases for protecting the weld produced by an electric arc from atmose pheric gases.

The invention is not limited, however, to the production of the foam in the particular manner indicated, nor the presence of carbon dioxide therein. It is possible to produce similar foams with carbon monoxide, argon, helium or other shielding gases, for example by beating the gas into a liquid containing a suitable stabilizing agent such as those hereinbefore described. Thus a stiff and stable foam containing any of the gases mentioned or any other suitable gas may be produced easily and applied in accordance with the present invention to improve the Welding operation by protecting the weld from atmospheric gases. The method and apparatus for producing the foam form no part of the present invention.

The foam may, moreover, serve as a carrier for various weld stabilizing agents such as silicon tetrachloride, titanium tetrachloride, titanium tetrafluoride, calcium fluoride, alkali metal silicates, titanium dioxide, manganese dioxide. boron tetraiiuoride, charcoal, cellulose, iron oxide and calcium carbonate and alloying agents such as ferroalloys of manganese, chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, silicon and metals such as aluminum and nickel. These materials in finely divided form can be suspended in the foam and by the action of the arc are transferred to the iinished weld to improve the characteristics thereof.

Referring to the drawing, 5 indicates an electrode of the consumable type which is withdrawn from a reel 6 on a support 'I andfed by rollers 8 driven by a motor 9 at a rate comparable with the consumption of the electrode. The electrode passes through a current pickup shoe I 0 which is connected by a lconductor Il to one pole of a welding generator l2. The other pole is connected by a conductor I3 to the workpiece I4. Thus, when the procedure is inoperation, an arc is maintained between the end of the electrode 5 and the workpiece to afford the heat necessary for the weld.

In accordance with the present invention, foam is produced in a generator l5, the details of which form no part of the present invention, and is delivered continuously through a pipe IB which surrounds a portion of the current pickup shoe I0 so that the foam is delivered uniformly about the end of the electrode 5 and spreads out on the workpiece, affording a blanket for the arc and the weld as it is produced. Thus, the gases of the atmosphere are excluded from the weld, and suitable and satisfactory welding operations can be conducted without the imperfections which are commonly met in welds where the atmospheric gases have access to the heated metal.

In the simpliiied form of the invention as shown in Fig. 2, the electrode H may be fed by rollers i8 driven by a motor i9 at the required rate. It passes through a. current pickup shoe 20 Whchffis"bciniiectdyv by a conductor.` 2i toene pole of awelding" generator 22. rTheother pole is connected by a conductor 23 to the workpiece 24. Instead of supplying foam continuously as-v in Fig. l, the foam is merely spread as` ablanket over the workpiece, as indicated in Fig. 2,' and the electrode passing throughs.the'ftopx-of` ther blanket affords an arc which Visv completely-1` shielded by the blanket of foam-during the Weld ing operation.

. While the invention is described morefparticularly with reference to the use of a consumable electrode, consisting of the metal to be'v added to the Weld, the electrode-may be of the non-consui-ningh type suchzas-tungsten, carbon or the like. VIn that i event,- the feeding rolls 8 and. I3 are unnecessary and' current is supplied through the current pickupshoes land 26,' precisely as in'thercaseroff a; consumablel electrode. The blanketrof foamy protects: the Weld-in lthe same manner "int either acase.;

The? foam employed: for thel purpose of the present invention Y `consists of vthe selected. gassin the form'of .a1-:multiplicity oi bubbles in an aque.- ousumedium,.preferably-includingia.foam stabilizingymaterial of fthe typ e.fdescribed. It may/ include other. materials, vanda particularly are or Weld stabilizing materials or alloyingvv materials suspendedin .the foamfiorthepurposefof modiany of themlare adapted for the vpurpose of the present invention.

Various. changes-may be. made-.in thev apparatus as described without departing from therinventionor. sacricing the.. advantages thereof.,

lclaimg.

1...,Thje; method of velectric arc Welding which comprises maintaining? an arc, by, v.supplying 616ctric current fromY ar` source and surrounding ,the arcfyvitha blanketlpf -foa`.m. including4 a gaseous mediu1n. j

2".;.The method Aof jelectric. arc Welding which comprises maintaining anj' arc '-b'yfsupplying Aelectric'l current'- from a*source'andbontinuouslyfeed ingto "and" surrounding; the" aripjwith'v a blanket of foam includingafgas'eous medium.

35 The-method of/*electric'arcvwelding which comprises maintaining an'arc byv supplyingV electric-'current .fromj asource'and surrounding the arcvvitha blanketioff'foam consisting of a gas 4 in the form of a multiplicity of bubbles in an aqueous medium containing a foam stabilizing agent.

4. The method of electric arc welding which comprises maintaining an arc by supplying electric current from a source and continuously ieedingf'toandffsurroundi'r'igtlife 'arc'with a blanket' of `foam*consistir'igfwof A`va gas in the form of a multiplicity of bubbles in an aqueous melilium containing a foam stabilizing agent.

5. The-method of electric arc Welding Which comprises maintaining an arc by supplying electricrcurrentfromrfaf-surce and surrounding the :arcfwith a-bla-nket'of foam containing a gas and a 'Weld-modiyingelement suspended therein.

6. TheA method of electric arc welding which comprises maintaining an arc by supplying electric current from a source and continuously feedingtoran-d surrounding the arc withablanket of foam containing a gas and a Weld modifying elementisuspende'd`therein..-y v

'71 The-metliod'cif electric arcaweldin'gfwliich comprisesamaintaining" an arc :by supplying-.elseitric current fromiansourc'e .andA surroundingathe are' with' a a blanketfofaqueous` foam containing af gas.. andA `aevveldi modifyingfelement suspended therein.

8. Thevmethodzof electric arc Weldingwliich comprises: maintainingvan arc4` byv supplying electric-current from" a sourc'erands surroundin'gctlie arcrwithda bla'nketiof aqueous.; foam consisting ofzbubbles of carbon-dioxide? 9; Thei` method.rl of' electric-'1 are Welding which comprises* maintaining i a-n are by supplyingfelcgtric' current'iron'r afesource 'and-3 surrounding-*th arc with a blanket of aqueous'ffoamfconsisting of bubbleszsoffhelium:

ltr. The-m'ethodipfl electric arcfweldingfwhich comprisesrmaintaini'ng an 'farc'by-` supplyingrielecftricscurrent fironr4 a-'fsourcefa and surrounding 'the arc With a blanket'ofraque'ous foam 'consisting of. bubblesio argon:

11.; The frrietlfiod of felectric-"arcigweldingwhich compriseslf maintaining ani arc :by fsupplyingzelec tric current from#'afsource'landr"surrounding the arcwith a'sblanketffof aqueous kfoamI consisting of bubbles'offcarbon' monoxide.

PERRY:Y J. RIEPPEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references ae'bfirec'rdfin the 'ley of"this patent:

UNITED-STATES PATENTS 

